


Til I Bring You Home

by Angelicat2



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Keith (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Black Paladin Shiro (Voltron), Episode: s08e05 The Grudge, Flashbacks, Galra Keith (Voltron), Human Keith (Voltron), Protective Voltron Lions, Season/Series 08, Shapeshifting, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Sick Shiro (Voltron), Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Character Death, White Paladin Keith (Voltron), White-Haired Keith (Voltron), heartbroken Shiro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:34:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25190989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: When Zethrid holds Keith hostage at the top of the volcano on that deserted planet, she yanks him over the edge with her. Both plunge for the lava below, with only one getting saved. The lions won't let this rest though, creating a new body for Keith to live in.However, the new White Paladin must regain his memories and help out with the war efforts to boost the Coalition and give Voltron the chance it needs to defeat Haggar and what she has in plan for the universe.
Relationships: Keith & Black Lion (Voltron), Keith & Red Lion (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith & White Lion (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Shiro & Voltron Paladins
Comments: 11
Kudos: 134





	Til I Bring You Home

**Author's Note:**

> A little something I wrote, but I honestly don't remember 95% of what happened in s8, so it may get very canon divergent. Enjoy!

"All I have left is revenge!"

Shiro froze as the half-Galra turned her weapon on him. The weapon began to charge, light going so bright as it started to fire. Shiro knew he'd have only a second before the shot hit him, not enough time to move out of the way or to even react. He didn't have time for it, but time practically slowed down. He could see Keith, wrapped in those too big arms, oxygen clearly cut off as Zethrid clung tighter. Sweat was sliding down Keith's pale face as his eyes stared at Shiro in horror and fright so intense, it hurt more than when he had told Keith he was dead in the astral plane. The younger was partially in Galra mode, teeth way too sharp to be normal, and eyes skating on the edge of gold. 

Shiro didn't want Keith to see him die...again. He couldn't do that to his best friend. Not again.

A shot rang out, and Shiro flinched deeply. No pain sparked through his body, so he snapped his attention to the two on the cliff. Dread slammed into his chest as the larger stumbled back before it turned into a deep fear. Before his eyes, he watched as the Galra thrusted her hand out, grabbing onto the longer strands of Keith's hair. With a choked shout of pain, Keith fell back with her, over the edge.

"KEITH!" 

Shiro screamed as he raced forward, muscles stiff in shock as Keith's startled face disappeared over the cliff's edge. What felt like hours later, Shiro slid to the edge of the cliff. He ignored everything except the lava at the bottom of the volcano. Even through his suit, he could feel the burning heat, making it feel like he was standing in the hottest desert. Staring down in horror, he gazed around in a hurry. Keith…

Keith had to make it. Keith _had_ to.

But there was nothing there. The volcano was bubbling up like any on Earth, likely almost twice the temperature of a normal one. Fire orange pools of magma flared up like a spout, threatening to throw chunks of burning rock at him. But he waited, tears blurred his vision as he gazed around at the black rocky walls. Maybe Keith...maybe he...was clinging to the edge...maybe he...Shiro could still protect him. He could...still protect him…Maybe he could save him...He owed Keith it...he wanted to save him...he had to...

"Shiro," a voice broke into his head, making him flinch. He didn't look away, "Shiro, he's gone."

No...he wasn't. Keith was not gone. Keith had to be alive. He needed them. He could be out there somewhere. They needed to find him. Keith needed _him._

"Shiro, please," the phrase instantly had him snapping his head up. He recalled a few times Keith had stated it exactly like that. But...when he turned, he saw it was not his best friend. It was Veronica, sending him a sad look, one that Shiro did not want to see. One that made him burn with ice down to his core, "We need to get back to the others."

"But K-Keith," Shiro choked out, chalked full of emotions, "We ha-have to keep se-searching for him."

"Shiro," the other frowned softly before her eyes softened. Shiro didn't notice through the tears starting to slide down his cheeks, "He's gone. No one could survive that fall. I'm sorry...I'm sorry, sir."

"But…" Shiro turned back, ignoring the blast of hot air that came over them. The ground beneath them shook like an earthquake ripping through there, “Keith…”

“We have to go right now!” The woman screamed as she clapped her hand to his shoulder, yanking him away from the edge as another deep tremor shook the rocks around them. Shiro tried to stay at first. Keith...he had to be down there...He had to be…

Another jolt went through the air as the volcano gave a mighty roar. Shiro pushed himself away from the edge just in time to avoid a blast of lava to the face. Landing back on his ass, he felt something scrap against his wrist, something cool despite the heated world around them. He didn’t have enough time to think as someone grabbed his shoulder tightly, forcing him to his feet. Running away, he could barely breathe as he rushed down the hill. Ash and fire rained from the sky, making it almost impossible to see through his helmet. Nearly a time or two, he tripped, but corrected himself at the last second. 

Just yards in front of them sat one of the MFEs, likely James. The door was open, awaiting them to jump inside. Veronica hopped inside as soon as her feet touched the wing, but Shiro paused as he turned back to the large peak. Lava was beginning to flow down the hill, charging for them in a sizzling hot stream. He stared in shock as the recent events finally kicked in. Something yanked him down into the plane just as the window slammed shut. Before Shiro could get himself orientated, the jet zipped forward, making his usually strong stomach grow queasy as they flew away from there. Pressing his hand to the window, he stared out into the burning landscape as they darted away. 

Keith...Keith was back there. By himself. In the lava. Burning up and hurt and-

Shiro quickly dug his helmet off of his head, growling as one of the latches refused to let go. Turning it upside down, he threw up inside the grey and orange bowl. Holding it close, he continued even after they steadied their flight. Feeling fever-hot as if he were still on the edge of the volcano, he shivered as he finally stopped. Tears slipped down into the mess he had made, which he ignored as he pressed his forehead to the warm metal. 

Neither of the two with him said anything, which he was grateful for...it...it was just from the wild ride and the excess adrenaline. Not because...Keith wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead. He _wasn’t._

He noticed that they were flying into the Atlas’ hangar, wheels just kissing the smooth floor. But Shiro was too numb to care as he kept his head to his helmet. He didn’t even mind the smell as he hugged the thing close, feeling oversensitive in the worst way...His friend...His best friend...was...he wasn’t…

“Shock…” Someone spoke from far away, but Shiro paid no attention as he shivered again, “...He needs res...gone...saw him...lava…”

Shiro clenched his fist, only brought back to the present by the tough metal beneath his fingers. It felt like the handle of something...like the handle of a dagger, a familiar dagger. Whipping his eyes down at the blade, he saw that it was Keith’s. The one he had on him before he fell. The one he got from his Galra mother...Hope spiked through his chest as he brought it up to his face. Krolia had said back in that cave that if someone were still alive, their knife would glow. It would be proof that Keith was out there, that Keith needed them to come get him, that he had survived.

But...it was dark.

Ice crashed into Shiro’s chest like a physical blow, an icicle through the heart.

The once bright blue-purple shine was gone, darker than the surrounding grey metal, as cold as stone. Not even a flicker went through the metal, so unlike what they had seen when Kolivan’s had burned like embers. It was so lifeless, like a light cut from its power source. Shiro stared at it for a long moment, willing it brighten up.

But it didn’t.

It stayed lightless.

Shiro sobbed as he pulled his knees up his face.

Keith was dead.

He was gone. His best friend...his everything...was dead. There was no Black Lion to bring him back this time.

Shiro closed his eyes as they burned.

Something in the edge of his brain pressed to his mind. Shiro broke even more as he held the knife to his chest, letting go of his helmet. A presence prodded at his mind softly but he growled angrily before kicking it out, sealing his walls completely. This was beyond insulting. Black couldn’t demand such things, especially since she...since their connection had been cut for nearly two years now. He wouldn’t accept it. He didn’t want to hear her in his mind.

Because if he was hearing her now, it meant that her old paladin was gone.

That Keith was gone.

And he was never coming back. 

Shiro laughed softly before he cried harshly, tears wetting his suit, which was chard with black ash patches and smelled like burning sulfur. Hugging himself tightly, he trembled slightly. How...how was he going to tell the team? How was he going to go up to them and say that Keith...that a member of their family didn’t make it? That Keith died in action, taken in some horrible act of revenge? How was he going to explain this to the Blades? How was he going…

How was he going to look Krolia in the eyes and tell her that her _son_ died? How could he? Tears burning his eyes as he cried out again. He felt like the little boy who had been told that his grandpa was sick, and slowly declining. He felt like the teen him when he had been told he was diagnosed with an incurable disease that would kill him in a few years. He felt like the twenty-four-year-old who had been denied missions too often because he was _sick_. 

How would he be able to honestly stare directly at the woman and say Keith was dead? How could he? He wouldn’t be able to. Krolia was like the mom he never really had, and he couldn’t crush her like that. Her son was dead.

Keith was dead.

Shiro felt exhausted suddenly, like he had run a full marathon in minutes. His heart was racing wildly, but his body felt cold. Pressure lined up behind his eyes, making him wince, mind foggy all of a sudden too. A headache was on the edge of his awareness as he shivered again for the twentieth time. He could hear someone shouting something nearby, but it felt like so far away as Shiro’s brain tried to focus. It felt like literal fog in his brain, so thick he wondered how he was thinking at all. Before he was aware of it, he was suddenly laying down on his back, something being pressed to his chest. He just shivered before staring ahead at a tiny dot on the ceiling.

Keith...he was gone...forever…

Forever was a long time…

And Keith was gone…

Something poked him, but he didn’t have the strength to even glance at whatever it was. Right now, he didn’t really care to look. Blackness crashed into his vision as everything began to dim. Gripping the dagger harder than before, he let the darkness take him.

~~~~~

He was falling, free in nothingness. Hot air flowed around him, making it feel like he was about to enter a burning sun. He couldn’t breathe correctly as he slipped backward, fright so deep in his body that he cried out even though his lungs couldn’t. Something was yanking on his scalp, making it burn just as much as the air around him as he plunged downward.

Someone was standing there, face just as scared and shocked as he was. His face was almost blocked by the helmet he wore, but it made no difference as the other fell. Seconds seemed to stretch into hours, paving the other man’s look into his brain until he saw it behind his eyelids. He watched as the man began running forward to him, but he couldn’t see him anymore as his whole body flipped the other way around, bright orange in his vision. His stomach crashed at the same time, making him heave out a choked breathe. His throat burned even more than the rest of him, making breathing impossible as the heat strangled him. 

He tried to fight it, but soon enough...the heat was too much. It felt like his skin was literally on fire, as if he were turning to ash in seconds. He couldn’t even scream out as everything faded quickly.

And then he was suddenly okay.

Sitting there with his eyes closed, he waited. When nothing happened, he slowly opened them.

He was in blinding white nothingness. Blinking as he glanced around carefully, he watched as some of the white darkened to pale blue, clouds in the air before him. He brought his hand up to the misty thing, feeling the cloud in his hand. It brought him some comfort, though he didn’t know why. He was dressed in a weird outfit, a light armor of some sorts. It was light grey with white, accents of gold. If he looked enough, he could see a V on the chest plate along with a white helmet to the side by his arm, both framed with the same gold. Another strange device laid there, looking like a fancy curved U with the same theme going on, but a few accents of purple, red, blue, green, and yellow too, like decorative cat scratches.

Where was he? Who...who was he? He couldn’t remember anything. The only thing he did know was that he was somewhere he didn’t remember being. Alone with no one.

“You are not alone,” a voice sank over him as he twisted around, instincts flaring that he needed to protect himself...to fight…“Little one, you are safe here. It must be your Galra instinct kicking in. The prince did the same when we first met. A shame he did not have your heart, little one.”

“I...What...who?” He twisted around, only more tense than before, “Who are you? Where am I? What’s going on?”

As he scanned the landscape, he noticed some movement in the corner of his eye. Whipping over to the thing, he narrowed his eyes as it came closer, like a cloud rolling forth. Before his eyes, a large white...lion? appeared just feet in front of him, making him tense even more. He scowled at the lion before standing his ground. The inside of the mane was transparent, making it easy to see the clouds behind it. 

Would it attack? Would it kill him?

“No, young one,” the lion huffed before practically rolling its equally white-yellow eyes, ear twitching, “I will not hurt you. I have saved you, in fact.”

“Saved me?” He asked curiously, not sure what it meant by that.

“Yes,” the lion nodded before coming closer. He still tensed slightly, but relaxed when no attack happened, “You died, young one. But I, along with my fellow lions, have saved you from this fate. You are important to this war, and to others.”

“I...died…” He raised a brow, staring down at his hands. Oddly, he wasn’t too panicked about this fact...as if he had accepted the idea of death before…“Wait...you said other lions. You have a pride?”

“In a way,” the lions paused for a moment before making a small sound, “Yes, they are my pride, although we have not been with each other often. They are usually busy with their physical responsibilities but they do join me every so.”

“Where am I?”

“You are on Oriande, my home,” the lion nodded before coming closer. This time, he didn’t move away as the beast stood inches from him, “And you are now my paladin.”

“Paladin?” He asked with a tilted head. He had heard that somewhere.

“A person who is deeply connected to us lions,” the lion spoke before blinking, “On both a physical and mental capacity. We are interconnected. Your pain is mine, mine is yours. Our thoughts are one.”

Oh...that explained the mind-reading…

The lions just smirked at him.

“Oh...that sounds…” Keith stared to the side before glancing back at the lion, “Nice.”

The lion laughed at him, making him wonder what he said that was so funny.

“You are right,” the lion snickered more before its laughter died off, “I should not be surprised that you seem comfortable with the idea. You were, after all, the paladin of both Black and Red at one time.”

“Black and Red?” He blinked, startled at how familiar those names were, “Are they part of your pride?”

"White," another voice joined in, making Keith look up at the one coming near. It was a purple lion, with starlight in its fur and fresh breeze around it. Its reddish wings twitched slightly, "Of course we are part of his pride, little one."

"And so are you," another stepped forward, warm like a sunny desert as red flames rolled along its fur. Keith didn't even flinch at all when the lion strolled nearer, gently rubbing her neck along his side. Something about it instantly calmed him. He liked this. It was reassuring, like hearing or seeing something he hadn't in many years after yearning. The lion pressed to his chest, which encouraged him to pet the other's fur, "Welcome back, my cub."

"My cub?"

"That is what I called you before," she nodded before her gaze snuck to the white lion, "The process truly did steal away his memories, White."

"There isn't much we could do," another voice joined as a green lion appeared like a flower from a plant, "It's a consequence of bringing him to life and producing a body for him to live in. Memories get blocked and silenced in the process. He will hopefully get them back."

"I am sorry, my cub," the red lion turned back to him, "I wish I could have caught you. We barely had enough energy to save your quintessence as it was when you died. But the present is as it is, I suppose."

"It's okay, Red," he grinned softly before petting her again, "I'm not mad."

"It's too bad this new body couldn't escape the old scars," another voice came to them as a crystal blue lion appeared like an ocean wave, "But it may help you, Keith. There are certain...emotions attached to some of them."

"Keith?" He asked with a frown, trying to see if the name reminded him of anything. It really didn't, "My name is Keith?"

"That is what you used to call yourself, little one," Black spoke up with a small chuckle, "And what my paladin always used to see you as."

"Your paladin?"

"My paladin," she nodded before growing a bit sad, "He is a bit reluctant right now. He's still grieving the loss of you. But I know he will come around when the time comes."

"Who...who is he?" Keith asked curiously before squinting slightly, "Do I know him that much?"

"You know him very well," another lion strolled up, made from golden earth, "Although I have never had the connection Black and Red have had to you, I can tell you two were important to each other. Best friends…"

"Oh…" Keith stared at the lion, pondering the info. Just off of his instincts now, he could tell he wasn't a people person and whoever this paladin was...he must have done something to convince him to be friends with him, "Who is he?"

"His name is Takashi Shirogane," White spoke up as he sat back on his haunches, looking all the bit regal and strong, "But he prefers the name of Shiro."

A memory snapped into place, one of deep sadness as Keith's chest burned softly. A quick flash appeared, taking his vision with it as he suddenly was staring down at a pod, left hand to the glass. He couldn't see who was inside nor the two people by each of his sides, just two shadowy blurs in his vision. The machine made a strange noise before turning yellow, a bad sign. He slammed his fist down on the machine, fear flaring in his gut as something controlled his body as if he were watching a movie from the inside of one of the characters.

"Shiro, please," a voice...his voice begged, on the edge of a broken cry, "You can't do this to me again! Fight!"

With a gasp, Keith blinked. As quick as the vision came, it disappeared, leaving him standing in the middle of the lions...wait, no. He was now laying down on something warm and fluffy. Reaching behind himself as exhaustion hit him like a hoverbike, he heard a small purr by his side.

Red was behind him, currently pillowing him from...him falling down. When had he fallen? Why had he fallen? Why was he so tired now? His body felt strange and stiff and sore. 

"It is okay," White interrupted his thoughts as he nuzzled against his cheek, white snowy mane blinding Keith, "Your memories are slowly filtering back into your mind, and that was a flashback you just experienced. You are tired because your body is new. It took all of our energy to create and make sure your body would not malfunction on you. Give it time to rest."

"I...saw something," Keith frowned before he relaxed back against the fiery warm lion behind him, "I...I think Shiro...Shiro was dying. I begged him to come back to me…"

Was he...dead? He had to have lived. It didn't sound right if he hadn't. Even the thought of such a thing made Keith's blood turn cold as ice.

"He is very much alive," Black spoke up from his left, peering at him from a few feet away, "Although he does not know you are alive right now."

"Wait...what!" Keith choked as he tried to get up quickly. Just barely to his feet, dizziness crashed into his head as pain flashed through his body from head to toe and back. He pressed one eye closed as he cried out, hurting. A cool nose pressed to his, making the pain evaporate into mist as he rested into Red whose tail curled onto his lap, "We have to let him know I'm alive."

"We will, in time," White nodded before he rested his head on Keith's chest. The lion didn't feel heavy, yet Keith felt like he was being crushed from his exhaustion, "But you need to gain your strength. Making a body is not easy on us nor your soul when we put you in it. You must get used to it."

"And after my body heals?"

"You will begin your training," White stared at him, "You are a half-Galra, half-human stuck in an Altean-powered body. Just like any Altean, you have the ability to shapeshift...perhaps even more than a normal Altean, and you will need to practice with that. You must also relearn fighting techniques and how to use your bayard."

"Okay," Keith yawned before he closed his eyes, not quite understanding what a ‘bayard’ was, "I'll do it. But after we are done here, I'm going to find out more about my past."

"That is quite alright, my paladin," the lion chuckled softly as he started to fade away into sleep, "We'll be with you every step of the way."

**Author's Note:**

> So this chapter has been written for a while now, but right now, I'm having trouble writing anything, for reasons. This may be all I post for a long while, but I felt I had to get it out of my files instead of just letting it hang there by itself. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Hopefully I'll write more sometime!!


End file.
